Retired State Police Maj. Gerald Lewis today sued the State Police and Superintendent Col. Rick Fuentes, claiming he was the target of a bogus, racially motivated internal investigation into an anonymous letter about Fuentes' personal life.
(Noah K. Murray/The Star-Ledger)

Lewis, a former high-ranking State Police commander who oversaw public relations and minority recruitment for the force, has sued Superintendent Col. Rick Fuentes for allegedly trying to force him out by making him the target of a bogus, racially motivated investigation.

Here's a brief look at his career:

Name: Maj. Gerald Lewis
Age: 50
Hometown: Piscataway

State Police class: 109th, graduated Nov. 19, 1987

Top position: Commanding Officer, Office of Community Affairs, overseeing recruitment and public relations, including press matters

About: Lewis, who was the highest-ranking black trooper at the time of his retirement, became one of the most visible members of Fuentes' inner circle throughout New Jersey. He led the State Police's efforts to overcome a history of racial profiling and discrimination in order to attract more minorities to the force, while publicly defending the division through media relations. He oversaw the division's recruitment efforts, brokered new ties with black church and community leaders, and made personal pitches across the state to young, black men and women to persuade them to apply.

Lewis was a vocal advocate inside and outside the organization for increasing diversity on the force. After a State Police class of recruits graduated with only five black members in 2011, Lewis — in conjunction with the Attorney General's Office and Gov. Chris Christie — spearheaded a renewed push into New Jersey's inner cities in order to bring minority representation more in line with the state's population. Those efforts resulted in the two most diverse groups of new troopers in the force's history.

Lewis also worked closely with the Christie administration to broker meetings between law enforcement and the state's Muslim community following revelations in 2012 of spying by the New York Police Department. He has been honored by several chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, as well as by the State Police for apprehending a carjacking suspect and saving a choking victim.